When will this craziness end?

Open letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake We respectfully call on Your Excellency and the Honourable Minister of Health to adopt a Tobacco-Free Generation policy, that prohibits the sale of all tobacco products to any person born on or after 01 January, 2010. It is a fut…

Open letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

We respectfully call on Your Excellency and the Honourable Minister of Health to adopt a Tobacco-Free Generation policy, that prohibits the sale of all tobacco products to any person born on or after 01 January, 2010. It is a futuristic, step-wise commitment to the children of our nation. Tobacco is the most destructive commercial product in the world, engineered deliberately by an industry that profits from it. Our children deserve to inherit freedom from this substance that kills one of two of its users. This appeal is based on the following grounds. * In Sri Lanka it is estimated that tobacco kills 20,000 people annually, in addition to causing widespread economic losses which was estimated to Rs. 214 billion in 2019. This is in addition to the misery that tobacco causes to its users and families due to dependence, expenditure, economic loss and from diseases caused by tobacco. These diseases range from heart disease, strokes, and cancers to dementia and blindness. It is also a gateway drug to other substances including cannabis and heroin. * It is well known that the tobacco industry deliberately and systematically targets young people through digital media, point of sale displays and product design. Children initiated into tobacco use during adolescence bear lifelong health consequences, contributing to reduced workforce productivity, increased healthcare costs and preventable premature death. Sri Lanka’s ageing population and declining birth rate make the health of younger generations a matter of direct national economic relevance. A Tobacco-Free Generation policy addresses these harms at source, with long-term benefits to public health, workforce capacity and health system sustainability. * This is also a policy grounded on international commitments of Sri Lanka, as well as its own national laws. Sri Lanka is a State Party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) – being the first country in Asia to ratify it – as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and International Labour Organisation Conventions. Collectively, these instruments require states to protect children from preventable harm, uphold their right to the highest attainable standard of health, and shield them from commercial exploitation. Sustainable Development Goals further commits all signatory nations, which includes Sri Lanka, to strengthen FCTC implementation as a specific development obligation. * The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act No. 27 of 2006 already mandates discouraging tobacco use among children and curtailing their access to tobacco products. The proposed policy is consistent with and is a direct extension of these existing obligations of this Act. * This policy is by design a long-term measure. Its public health impact will be realised progressively as successive groups reach adulthood, free from tobacco initiation. Similarly, any effects on tobacco-related employment, revenues, retail and cultivation will unfold gradually over many years, providing ample time for affected industries and livelihoods to adapt other alternatives. * The Tobacco-Free Generation model has gained significant momentum internationally. The Maldives became the first country in the world to enact such legislation, prohibiting tobacco sales to all persons born after 01 January, 2007. The United Kingdom followed, with the Tobacco and Vapes Act in 2026, permanently banning tobacco sales to anyone born on or after 01 January, 2009, Canada, Denmark, Singapore and the European Union are each at various stages of discussing, examining or adopting comparable measures. The policy is no longer at the margins of tobacco control debate. Sri Lanka is no newcomer to this fight against this killer substance. In 2003, Sri Lanka ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) as the first country in Asia and the fourth in the world to do so. The Sri Lanka National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act has been considered one of the best examples of comprehensive tobacco control laws during the last 20 years. As you are aware, this law was enacted, despite strong and sustained opposition from the tobacco industry. Every day this policy is delayed, another group of Sri Lankan children are exposed to an industry whose profit depends on recruiting them. As around 50 people are killed by tobacco use each day in Sri Lanka, the industry needs to snare at least 50 new users daily to maintain its profits. Sri Lanka has the legal framework, the international standing and consensus to act. Therefore, we earnestly urge Your Excellency and the Honourable Minister to take this step not only as a matter of sound public health policy, but also as a demonstration of your commitment to the wellbeing of the of children and young people who will define Sri Lanka’s future. The Presidents of the following professional Colleges and Associations have strongly endorsed and signed this appeal to Your Excellency. This list is annexed for your perusal. We assure that we stand ready to support Your Excellency in this effort in every way we can. Dr. Manilka Sumanatilleke President, Sri Lanka Medical Association Dr. Anula Wijesundere Chairperson, Expert Committee on Tobacco, Alcohol and illicit Drugs President of Ceylon College of Physicians Prof. Namal Wijesinghe President of The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka Prof. Ajith Malalasekera, President of Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists Prof. Rukshan Fernandopulle, President of College of Peadiatricians of Sri Lanka Prof. Pujitha Wickramasinghe, President of Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists, Dr Sumana Handagala, President of Sri Lanka College of Cardiology , Dr Asunga Dunuwille, President of Sri Lanka College of Oncologists , Dr Sanjeewa Gunasekera, President of Ceylon College of Critical Care Specialists, Dr A. D. Mudalige, President of Association of Sri Lankan Neurologists, Dr Dilum Palliyaguruge, President of Sri Lanka College of Haematologists, Dr T. Sooriyakumar, President of the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka, Dr K. R. Dayawansa President of Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists,Dr Dasanthi Akmeemana President of Sri Lanka College of Endocrinologists, Dr Tharanga Samarakoon, President of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka, Dr Pushpa Weerasinghe, President of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, Dr Vindya Kumarapeli, President of Sri Lanka College of Radiologists, Dr. Nayana Samarasinghe, President of Sri Lanka College of Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine, Dr. Nayani Madarasingha, President of the College of Dentistry and Stomatology, Dr Pemith Liyanage CC: Hon. Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health, Dr Anil Jasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Health